Phlegm is something most people experience at some point. You may notice it when you wake up in the morning, after a cold, during allergy season, or when you have a lingering cough.
Sometimes it disappears within a few days.
Other times, it seems to keep coming back.
Persistent phlegm can be frustrating, especially when you feel like you are constantly clearing your throat or coughing something up. But phlegm itself isn’t necessarily a sign that something is seriously wrong. In many cases, it is simply part of the body’s normal defense system.
Your airways naturally produce mucus to trap dust, particles, allergens, and microorganisms. Tiny hair-like structures called cilia help move this mucus toward the throat, where it can be swallowed or expelled.
The problem is usually not the existence of mucus itself, but why your body is producing more of it or why it is not clearing normally.
